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(NEWZIMBABWE) Makoni's new party promises 'real change'

Makoni's new party promises 'real change'
by Lebo Nkatazo
01/07/2009 00:00:00

FORMER presidential candidate Simba Makoni finally launched his political party on Wednesday, promoting it as the best alternative to the bickering parties constituting Zimbabwe’s power sharing government.

Makoni, who was introduced as the “interim” president of Mavambo-Kusile-Dawn (MKD), told close to 300 supporters, journalists and diplomats -- mainly from western countries -- that the unity government formed between Zanu PF and two Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formations was failing to respond to people‘s needs due to bickering over trivial matters.

“I now offer myself not as an independent Simba Makoni, but as a team of fresh leaders, a team of young leaders, a team of leaders that carry no baggage, that carry no prejudices,” Makoni said, speaking in front of banners proclaiming The Real Change.

“If I am talking like a missionary it’s because we are here to clean the politics of Zimbabwe,” he added.

Makoni said his party would safeguard the welfare and assure the safety of those in the Diaspora and work to understand the desire of the youth “not to be prisoners of the past”.

“We are committed to balanced national development. This whole nation of Zimbabwe needs to move forward together at the same pace. No Zimbabwean should feel excluded, undermined or deprived,” said Makoni, a 59-year-old former finance minister who ran for president as an independent last year, coming third in the first round.

The party’s interim chairperson Godfrey Chanetsa, President Robert Mugabe’s former press secretary, said they had heeded Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara’s statement during his speech on the occasion of the formation of the inclusive government that there was no more opposition party in Zimbabwe.

“On that day rose an old man who stated unreservedly that the problem of opposition parties in Africa is that they want to take over from ruling parties (without real change),” said Chanetsa.

The party’s statement of principles and policies says it will champion the division between resources of the state and those of the party.

The party advocates “decentralisation of government authority and responsibility to as close as possible to the people it is expected to serve” and advocating for a “competent, efficient and non-partisan civil service, including the security sector, which will serve the interests of all Zimbabweans”.

Some members of Makoni’s presidential campaign team including newspaper publisher Ibbo Mandaza, former legislator Kindness Paradza and retired army major Kudzai Mbudzi did not attend the launch.

The three are part of a High Court action against Makoni – a battle for the control of the party and assets. Mandaza said: “This launch is null and void. The issue is before the courts.”

Labels: DECENTRALIZATION, GODFREY CHANETSA, IBBO MANDAZA, KINDNESS PARADZA, KUDZAI MBUDZI, MAVAMBO KUSILE DAWN, MKD, SIMBA MAKONI

posted by MrK @ 5:09 PM